"Animal production and health play critical roles in the sustainability and competitiveness of US agriculture.

"They contribute significantly to the nation's economy, global food production and food security" said Dr Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA Administrator. "These awards will expand knowledge and best practices to enhance animal health, lower production costs, and minimise environmental impacts."

Grants were awarded through the Animal Nutrition, Growth, and Lactation program, part of the AFRI Foundational Program, which supports basic and applied research.

Research areas include studying how animals use the nutrients in their feed; improving the use of traditional feed; exploring opportunities to use non-traditional feedstuffs; increasing the quality and efficiency of producing meat, milk and eggs; and mitigating metabolic disorders.

Funded projects include a South Dakota State University project aimed at improving our knowledge of starch digestion in cattle, and an Iowa State University project designed to improve delivery and availability of nutrients and energy to pigs facing disease challenges, to minimise losses in growth rates and production efficiency.